1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical garment and more particularly to an improved support belt for securely supporting and covering an ostomy appliance. The belt is designed to support an ostomy collection bag or pouch in a secure position on the patient's abdomen without interfering with the functions of the ostomy appliance. The collection pouch is held completely covered and out of sight while allowing for expansion due to fecal discharge. The support provided permits the patient to engage in everyday activities including sports with complete confidence and comfort. The pouch remains readily accessible for removal and cleaning with minimum adjustment and without removal of the belt itself.
As used herein the term "ostomy" is intended to cover all types of procedures such as ileostomy and colostomy wherein a passageway is provided through the skin and a portion of the intestine or stoma is surgically connected thereto for discharge of fecal matter or for other purposes. In its broadest scope the invention relates to any surgical procedure requiring support of a bag, pouch or other container or apparatus for connection to a body entry device for receiving or discharging any substance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior to the development of appliances for attachment to the exterior abdominal wall with sealed containers for collecting waste material draining from the patient's intestine, the common practice was to position a moisture proof, sometimes expandable, material against the abdominal wall to form a cavity between the abdominal wall and the material for collecting discharged waste matter. The following listed prior U.S. patents are examples of such devices:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 1,857,179 Bowman 1,951,937 Judd 2,002,931 Bowman 2,688,327 Berg ______________________________________
As discussed in the Berg U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,327, it was also common practice to place an absorbent pad and/or deodorant substance in the collection cavity against the abdominal wall. Other substances such as tissues or the like were also used to collect and hold the waste material. The problems of personal hygiene, discomfort and activity limiting with the use of this type of device are readily apparent. The psychological effects on the patient were also severe.
With the advent of collection appliances which provide a separate pouch with an opening surrounding the stoma, various configurations of undergarments were devised for concealing and supporting the collection pouch. The following listed patents illustrate examples of this type of garment which also served to tightly hold the entry opening of the pouch against the wearer's abdomen, typically with elastic pressure as the only sealing means:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 2,778,362 Pollock et al 3,421,505 Freeman et al 3,468,310 Kimball ______________________________________
Other devices of the same type utilized elastic belts which encircled the user's waist and applied pressure to hold the collection pouch opening against the abdomen wall surrounding the stoma. These devices in some instances also served to cover the collection pouch from view. The following U.S. patents illustrate such devices.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 2,476,513 Scott 2,583,721 Beede 2,788,785 Present 5,330,455 McKay ______________________________________
With the advent of improved collection appliances having efficient sealing means for independently holding the collection pouch opening to the abdomen, about the stoma, the problem remains of comfort, support and concealment of the pouch. One common approach is to provide a supporting pocket built into a garment, usually a modified undergarment specially designed to conceal the pouch. the following U.S. patents illustrate examples of such garments.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,533,355 Fair 4,888,006 Beaupied 5,135,520 Beaupied 5,142,702 Piloian ______________________________________
Problems with such garment type devices include uncomfortable placement of the pouch, inadequate support, bulkiness and the absence of any feeling of security against dislocation or exposure of the pouch.
In addition to the garment type support for separately sealed collection appliances, belt devices such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,362 to Willett have also been used. This type of support, however, provides no effective means for positively holding the collection pouch in a fixed position and provides little or no protection for the stoma area. Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,661 to Marut which, although not related to ostomy pouch holders, discloses a belt device with pocket means for holding an entrance tube connected to the wearer's stomach through a stoma. The pocket is designed to hold the outer distal end portion of the tube with absorbent material provided to absorb any excretions therefrom.